How to read Ashtakavarga
Ashtakavarga ("eight sources of strength") is the scoring system of Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra. The seven planets and the Lagna each give a point, called a bindu, to certain signs counted from where they sit. Adding them up shows how well every sign of your chart supports each planet.
- Bhinnashtakavarga (BAV) is one planet's own table: 0 to 8 bindus per sign. Four is average. A planet with 5 or more bindus in the sign it occupies gives its results freely; with 3 or fewer it struggles, even when exalted.
- Sarvashtakavarga (SAV) adds the seven tables together. Every chart totals 337, about 28 per house. Houses with 28 or more support their themes (the 10th for career, the 7th for marriage, the 11th for income); houses under 25 need more effort.
- Timing: when Saturn or Jupiter moves through a sign with high bindus, that period usually goes better than when they cross a low-scoring sign. Read it together with your running dasha.
This calculator uses the classical Parashari tables (Rahu and Ketu don't contribute) and the same sidereal chart as our free Kundli. It shows the raw scores, before the Trikona and Ekadhipatya reductions some astrologers apply.
Frequently asked questions
What is Ashtakavarga?
Ashtakavarga is a Vedic scoring system from Brihat Parashara Hora Shastra. Each of the seven planets and the Lagna gives a point (bindu) to some signs, counted from where it sits. The points show how well each sign and house supports a planet, and how strong each area of life is overall.
What is the difference between Bhinnashtakavarga and Sarvashtakavarga?
Bhinnashtakavarga (BAV) is one planet's own table: 0 to 8 bindus in each sign. Sarvashtakavarga (SAV) adds the seven BAV tables together, giving each sign 0 to 56 points. The SAV total is always 337.
What is a good Sarvashtakavarga score for a house?
The average is about 28 points per house (337 ÷ 12). Houses with 28 or more are generally supportive; houses below 25 need more effort. A classical rule for prosperity: the 11th scores more than the 10th, the 12th less than the 11th, and the Lagna more than the 12th.
What does a planet's bindu count in its own sign mean?
In a planet's Bhinnashtakavarga, the bindus in the sign it occupies show how freely it can deliver its results. 4 is average; 5 or more is strong; 3 or fewer is weak, even for an exalted planet.
How is Ashtakavarga used for timing?
Astrologers check the bindus of the sign a planet transits: Saturn or Jupiter moving through a sign with high bindus in their own BAV and a high SAV usually gives better results than through a low-scoring sign. It is also read alongside the running dasha.
Do Rahu and Ketu have an Ashtakavarga?
Not in the Parashari system used here. Only the seven visible planets and the Lagna contribute bindus, which is why the total is fixed at 337.
Does Ashtakavarga need the exact birth time?
Planet signs rarely change with a small time error, but the Lagna's points and the house numbering do. If your birth time is unknown, read the sign scores rather than the house scores.